Spring for hinged cases



June 9, 1953 E. s. IRELAN 2,641,350

SPRING FOR HINGED CASES Filed April 6, 1950 5 IV '7 H l- I Patented June 9, 1953 umrso smrss Ellison S. Irelan, Elgin, 111., 'assignor t o Illinois Watch Case 00., a corporation of Illinois Applicationflprilfi, 1950;,-Seria-l N 0. 1 54;392'

9 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a spring iorhinged cases and more particularly a spring which presses against the portions of ahinged case by virtue of torsion as distinguished from a helical coil action, and which completely eliminates any irregularities or gapsin the hinge arrangement ofthe case in which it'is used.

One feature of this inventionis-to provide a new and improved means for urgingthe. portions ofa hinged case to. open position. Another feature is to provide a spring means which is positioned entirely within the case so as to present a-more pleasing case. exterior, particularly along the hinge'line. Another feature is the provision of a spring means whichmay be installed in a hinged case after the case is-assembled. Another feature is the provision of a spring means which may be removed from the case for replacement with alike spring without removing parts of thecase from their assembled position.- Still another featureis theprovision of a spring means which may be installedln existing hinged cases to replace a broken spring or one which-has lost its resiliency. Other advantages .and features will be apparent .from the description of an embodimentv ofthis invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a double row cigarette case with the spring means of this invention installed therein;

Fig. 2- is a sectional view takensubstantially along line 2-2 of Fig. 1; n

Fig. 3 is a plan view-of the spring of this invention removed from the case;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the spring, looking upwardly fromthebottom of Fig.3; and

Fig. 5 is. an end view of thespring shown in Fig. 3, lookingfrom the leitthereof.

Hinged-cases such .as compacts, cigarette cases and the likevhave previously been constructed with a hinge of the multiple pintle hearing or piano type connecting two portions of the case so that it may be opened and closed. In some cases it is desirable that aspring or other means be provided to spring. open the case upon the disengagement of a latch or other fastening means. In cigarette cases, a presser bar or retaming bar swin-gably mounted on the hinge of the case was resiliently urged toward the cigarette receiving compartment to hold cigarettes therein even though the case be open. Such resiliency was provided by using a coil spring pintle bearings-of the case portions and the coiled portion of the spring Moreover, portions of the hinge sections or 'pintle bearings had to be left off of. both case sections to enable sudh-a-cdil springfto surround the hinge pin, resulting in .an irregularity in the hinge line and an exposed springspoiling the back appearance of the case. This invention provides aspringmeans which forms no part ofthe hinge ofthe case, and which may be installed in the case attertheilatter has been assembled. I

The invention will .be described .with reference totheparticular embodiment-illustrated in the drawings which comprises a doublerow cigarette case having two. mating halves: connected. by a multiple-pintle bearing hinged I In Figs. 1 and 2 the caselcomprises two similar mating halves Ill and H, each having a'presser bar l'2,..i'3 for retaining cigarettes in each half of the case.v l he halves lfland li .areconnected bya pin M passing throughpin tlebearings.15 whichare integral with the half l0, andpintle bearings Iii-integral with the half II. The presser bar 12 is swingab'ly mounted on the pin I I by pintle bearings I7 and the presser bar. I? is likewise mounted onthe pin by pintle bearings I8. The case halvesma-y beheld in closed .posit'ion by a latch I9 which is provided with .a .release member. 20 for opening. the case.

The spring means of. this invention comprises atorsion barJ25 which is .removably mounted on the presserbars adjacentthe hinge of the case. The bar 2-5flhas similarhalves reversed in position andjoined in the centerbya portion adapted to extend over thehinge of the casein which the bar is used. The end portions 2511, 251). of the torsion member comprise a hooked portion 21a, 211) with aninturned-extremity 28a, 2827.. Asseen in Fig 1 the. hooked portion 21d grasps the edge [3a and the extremity 28a bears against the face of the resserbar l3. Theopposite end portion 26b grasps .theedge [2a with its hooked portion Z 'Iband the. extremity 28!; thereof bears againstthe presser. bar 12..

i xtending'inwardly. from the end portions 25a, 2612 are substantially straight'portions 3 0a and 35b which are v.joi'ned .by a center arcuate portion 34 When-installed in the case, as best seen in Fig. l the substantially straight portions. 30a, 30b extendrespectively under. the presser. bars I3, 12; along-the hin-geof the case. 7 The center arcuate portion. '3 extends over the, hinge to connect the straight portions of the torsion member. When the case is open a major portion of the torsion member is hidden from View withonly the center portion 34 and end portion's'26a; 25b appearing'aho've the presser. bars. 'Ihe-e'nd portions 26a, 26b, and. the'centerportion 34 maybe rigid, permitting-the spring action be entirely from torsion of the substantially straight portions of the spring.

In the process of manufacturing cigarette cases, such as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the two portions of the case and the presser bars may, be assembled by inserting the pin 14 through the respective pintle bearings l5, I6, I! and 18. After the case is thus assembled the spring torsion member may be inserted in its proper position by merely hooking the end portions 26a, 261) over the edges of the respective presser bars. Thus the torsion member of this invention may be utilized to render again operative, a case in which a coil spring has broken or lost its tension. The invention may also be used in cases for other purposes which do not have presser bars such as 12 and I3 by providing an anchor portion on each half of the case for attaching the end portions 26a, 26b of the torsion member. While I have shown and described one embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as pointed out in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a double row cigarette case having mating halves hingedly connected, cigarette retaining means comprising: a pair of presser bars pivotally mounted on the hinge, each bar being adapted to retain cigarettes in one half of the case; a torsion member mounted on said presser bars adjacent the hinge to urge the presser bars P apart toward respective halves of the case, said torsion member having end portions each hooked over an edge of respective presser bars with the extremity thereof engaging the presser bar in opposition to the torsion stress in the member and a substantially straight portion extending under the presser bar from each end portion toward the center of the case and acenter arcuate portion extending over the hinge to connect said Straight portions.

2. In a double row cigarette case having a hinge connecting mating halves of the case, a cigarette retaining means comprising: a pair of presser bars pivotally mounted on said hinge; a spring tensioning member urging said presser bars toward respective halves of the case, said spring tensioning member having end portions respectively 'engaging'an edge of the respective presser bars and a substantially straight portion extending from each end portion toward the center of the case and lying under the presser bars adjacent said hinge and an arcuate center portion connecting said straight'portions and extending over the hinge whereby said presser bars are urged toward respective halves of the case by torsion of the spring tensioning member.

3. In a double row cigarette case having mating halves hingedly connected, a cigarette rehinge connecting mating halves of the case, a cigarette retaining means comprising: a pair of presser bars pivotally mounted on the hinge, each presser bar being adapted to retain cigarettes in one half of the case; a single torsion member removably mounted on said presser bars to urge the presser bars apart and toward respective halves of the case, said torsion member having tow opposite similar portions each lying under a presser bar so as to be hidden from view when the case is open.

5; In a double row cigarette case having a hinge connecting mating halves of the case, a cigarette retaining means comprising: a pair of presser bars pivotally mounted on the hinge; a torsion member removably mounted on the presser bars adjacent the hinge to urge the presser bars apart and toward respective halves of the case, said torsion member having end portions hooked to engage an edge of said presser bar and a torsion portion between the end portions.

6. In a double row cigarette case having a hinge connecting mating halves of the case and a pair of presser bars pivotally mounted on the hinge, means for urging the presser bars toward respective'halvesoffthe case comprising: a torsion member engaging the presser bars adjacent the hinge, said torsion member having a center portion extending over the hinge and a substantially straight portion underlying each presser bar and extending from the center portion toward the sides of the case and end portions hooked over the outer'edges of the presser bars.

7. Apparatus of the character claimed in claim 6 in which at least the substantially straight portions of said torsion member have an elasticity permitting torsion thereof to urge the presser bars apart.

8. In a cigarette case having a hinge permitting the case to be opened and closed, means for retaining cigarettes in the case comprising: a presser bar swingably mounted on said hinge and adapted to extend over the cigarette receiving compartment; a torsion member urging said presser bar toward the cigarette receiving compartment, said torsion member having an end portion attached to an edge of the presser bar and a substantially straight portion extending along the hinge from said end portion and an arcuate portion extending from the straight portion over the hinge. v

9. In a container having two portions hingedly connected to permit opening and closing thereof, means for urging the portions of the container to open position comprising: a torsion member having a pair of substantially straight portions extending generally in the direction of the hinge and. adjacent to opposite sides of the hinge, said torsion member having end portions bearing against respective portions of the container independently of the hinge, and a center arcuate portion extending over the hinge to connect said straight portions.

, ELLISON s. IRELAN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 416,460 Hoefer Dec. 3, 1 889 1,318,458 Pedersen Oct. 14, 1919 11,973,682 Johnson Sept. 11, 1934 2, 483, 30 4 'Vogel 1 Sept. 27, 1949 

